Ian

Definitions

A male given name from Scottish Gaelic Eòin, equivalent to English John.

Equivalents

Examples

““If you want⟳ a Scotch name⟳ why don’t you call⟳ him Jock?” Macgregor looked disgusted. “Because Jock is not a name⟳, but a diminutive, as everybody knows well. It is the diminutive of John. And John is not a Scots name⟳. The Scots form⟳ of that name⟳ is Ian. If you want⟳ to call⟳ him Ian Fetch⟳, I shall say⟳ no more”.”

“After an inquest's ruling yesterday, it is now official that the newspaper vendor, Ian Tomlinson, was unlawfully killed amid the policing of the G20 protests in 2009. Many who saw⟳ the footage the Guardian obtained, which showed PC Simon Harwood striking Mr Tomlinson just before his death, will regard the verdict as a statement of the blindingly obvious.”

CEFR level